California drivers head to Mexico for cheaper gas as prices soar
Biden tapping oil reserve for 6 months to control surging gas prices
President Joe Biden ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve for six months, a bid to control energy prices that have spiked after the United States and allies imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The trip may not be worth it for Los Angeles County residents. But if you travel regularly to and from the Mexican border, it may be worthwhile to leave a Mexican gas station with a full tank.
At least, that's what drivers in Tijuana are doing.
We ran into quite a few drivers with California license plates on their cars filling up at gas stations offering prices at least $2 less per gallon than what we are seeing in Southern California. Usually higher than here, Mexican fuel prices are much lower as subsidies were approved to help drivers in Mexico deal with price fluctuations from the Ukrainian war.
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Now, keep in mind that while most gasoline in the border region is actually imported from U.S. refineries and is probably close in quality, there is no guarantee. Check out our story to get some hints and hear how people are managing to avoid long lines at the border crossing, to make the drive worthwhile.
Having the US Global Entry or Sentry permits, allows US drivers to avoid long lines, but it can still be a while. Still, if you are visiting or shopping in TJ, you might want to check it out. Just don’t try to bring gallon bottles filled with gasoline back into the US. That is a big no-no.
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